At Night, Alone. is the second studio album by American singer Mike Posner. It was released on May 6, 2016 by Island Records. The album features guest appearances by Labrinth and Big Sean.
The album received positive reviews from music critics, who celebrated the record's mature sound, and his autobiographic and introspective lyrical content. The album was considered a qualitative big step forward from his previous album 31 Minutes to Takeoff.
Background Mike Posner released his first single in two years, "The Way It Used to Be" in June 2013, and announced the release of his second album Pages. In October 2013, Posner said in an interview with Billboard: "I've made maybe over 100 songs since the last album, so I've got a good 12, 15 I'm proud of." A second single featuring Big Sean, "Top of the World" was released in December 2013. In March 2014, Billboard reported that Pages would be released later that year, but the release never materialized. Instead, Posner released the extended play, The Truth in June 2015 on Island Records, featuring four tracks later featured on At Night, Alone.
"I Took a Pill in Ibiza" was released as a single on July 24, 2015, and found international success in a remix by Seeb. In August 2015, Posner said that he had recorded two albums (Pages and Sky High) since his debut album, 31 Minutes to Takeoff (2010), which were both shelved by his former label RCA Records because "they didn't have a hit".
Posner said country singer Jake Owen encouraged him to "tell the truth" in his songs" and showed him artists like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, which made Posner realize that "you can just literally say the truth and it’s beautiful, and it’s heart-wrenching and it’s funny". The album is inspired by country music according to Posner: "So, like, the way I was inspired by hip-hop when I first started and would sort of sing hip-hop, this new (music) is kind of my take on country music. It doesn't sound country and no one uses the word country to describe it, but it's me trying to do country and it comes out weird and different."
Singles "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" was first released on Mike Posner's extended play, The Truth, on June 22, 2015. The remix version by Seeb was released on July 24, 2015.I Took a Pill In Ibiza (SeeB Remix) – Single by Mike Posner on iTunes The song would become Posner's biggest hit to date, peaking at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Promotional singles "Be as You Are" was released as promotional single in the United States on July 26, 2016. On February 17, 2017 a remix of "In the Arms of a Stranger" by Grey was released as promotional single.
Reception
David Jeffries of AllMusic noted an improvement for Posner in the album, writing, "This might not yet be the ultimate showcase for his talents, but At Night, Alone is both a welcome return and a significant step forward." Jordan Simon of Idolator wrote, "Posner on the album places his bets as pop's 'born-again' countryman," calling the album "not a pop jamboree. It is truth in advertising, an album exclusively optimized for solitude spent immersed in deep thought." Gwilym Mumford of The Guardian wrote, "Some curios apart—the a cappella revolutionary hymn 'Only God Knows' and rowdy folk-punk of 'Jade'—there is little here that lingers long in the memory, with only Posner's braggadocio and pinched vocals distinguishing him from the singer-songwriter crowd."
Track listing
Notes signifies an additional producer signifies a remixer
Personnel Adapted from the liner notes:
I Took a Pill in Ibiza Mike Posner – lead and background vocals Eugene Huang – guitar Nikolaj Torp – piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, whistle Martin Terefe – bass and background vocals Geoff Lea – drums Oskar Winberg – additional percussion Recorded by Sam Keyte at Kensaltown Recording Studios Vocals recorded by Mike Posner at Mike's House Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Not That Simple Mike Posner – lead and background vocals, piano and space echo Glen Scott – piano and organ Adam Friedman – guitar Martin Terefe – bass Kristoffer Sonne – drums and percussion Forrest D. Gray – string arrangement Recorded by Sam Keyte at Kensaltown Recording Studios, assisted by Kristian Larsen Vocals recorded by Mike Posner at Mike's House Additional recording by Oskar Winberg Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Be as You Are Mike Posner – lead and background vocals Adam Friedman – keyboards, guitar, drums and percussion, background vocals Simon Huber – bass Alex Toff – drums Oskar Winberg – percussion Ro Rowan – cello Vocals recorded by Mike Posner at Mike's House Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
In the Arms of a Stranger Mike Posner – lead and background vocals, keyboards, space echo Glen Scott – keyboards Adam Friedman – guitar Martin Terefe – bass Kristoffer Sonne – drums Recorded by Sam Keyte at Kensaltown Recording Studios, assisted by Kristian Larsen Vocals recorded by Mike Posner at Mike's House Additional recording by Oskar Winberg Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Silence Mike Posner – lead and background vocals, keyboards, piano and space echo Glen Scott – keyboards Adam Friedman – guitar Martin Terefe – bass Kristoffer Sonne – drums Recorded by Sam Keyte at Kensaltown Recording Studios, assisted by Kristian Larsen Vocals recorded by Mike Posner at Mike's House Additional recording by Oskar Winberg Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Iris Mike Posner – lead and background vocals Adam Friedman – guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion, background vocals Erick "Jesus" Coomes – bass MdL – drums and percussion Recorded by Adam Friedman, MdL and Mike Posner at Mike's House Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Only God Knows Mike Posner – lead and background vocals Norman Henry Mamey – "words of wisdom" Recorded by Mike Posner at Mike's House Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Jade Mike Posner – lead and background vocals Ely "The Creep" Rise – keyboards, organ Nick Maybury – guitar Bana Haffar – bass MdL – drums and percussion, programming Recorded by Mike Posner and Mason Levy at Mike's House Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
One Hell of a Song Mike Posner – lead and background vocals James Valentine – guitar Erick "Jesus" Coomes – bass Adam Friedman – drums, percussion, background vocals MdL – drums Recorded by Mike Posner and Adam Friedman at Mike's House Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Buried in Detroit Mike Posner – lead and background vocals, piano Glenn Scott – Rhodes piano Martin Terefe – bass Kristoffer Sonne – drums and percussion Steven Pemberton – drums Oskar Winberg, John Magnussen – additional percussion Norman Henry Mamey – orchestral arrangement and conductor Bob O'Donnell – orchestra contractor Michael Markman, Neil Sample, Leslie Katz, Rebecca Chung, Lisa Dondlinger, Lorand Lokuszta, Lorenz Gamma, Tamaa Chernyak-Pepp, Marisa Sorajja, Radu Pieptka – violins Nancy Roth, Pamela Goldsmith – violas Dennis Karamazyn, Paul Hochhalter – cellos Kevin Axt – brass Brian Scanlon, Jeff Driskhill, Phillip Feather, John Carr – woodwinds Gary Halopoff, Chris Tedesco – trumpets Charles Morillas, David Ryan, Craig Ware – trombones Amy Wilkins – harp Recorded by Sam Keyte at Kensaltown Recording Studios, assisted by Kristian Larsen Orchestra recorded by Dennis Sands at EastWest Studios Piano and additional vocals recorded by Josh Connolly, Dominic Jordan, Jimmy Giannos at the Hideout Recording Studio Additional recording by Oskar Winberg Mixed by Tony Maserati and Tyler Scott at Mirrorball Studios
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for At Night, Alone Chart (2016) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 60
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for At Night, Alone Chart (2016) Position Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 96 US Billboard 200 163
Certifications
References